KUCHING: A proposed third bridge across the Sarawak River
will connect Emart in Matang to Jalan Stephen Yong in Stapok
here, providing an alternative route to Kuching International
Airport for Petra Jaya residents.

Announcing this yesterday, Infrastructure Development and
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin said the
bridge project had been approved by the Federal Government at a
cost of RM145mil.

“I just received the approval about two weeks ago from the
Finance Ministry. It was quite fast because I wrote to the
ministry two weeks before that, so we say thank you to the
Federal Government for being so prompt in answering our call,”
he told reporters after inspecting the newly-opened Jalan Tun
Jugah flyover.

Manyin said allocation for the proposed project might not be
enough but if that was the case, the state would request
additional funds from the Federal Government.

He said the next step was to identify contractors for the
project.

“Whether it will be an open tender depends on the Finance
Ministry,” he added.

He described the project as good news for city folk, especially
those living in Petra Jaya, as it would help to ease congestion.

“Once it is completed, those in Petra Jaya don’t have to go
through the city in order to go to the airport. They can use the
bridge and go through Jalan Stephen Yong instead.”

Asked when the project would start, Manyin said it depended on
the Public Works Department (JKR) to finalise the details first.

He added that the bridge would be toll-free.

There are currently two bridges linking Petra Jaya to the city
centre namely the Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub bridge — more commonly
known as Satok bridge — and the Tun Salahuddin toll bridge in
Pending.

State JKR director Zuraimi Sabki said the scope and details of
the project, such as its design and alignment, had not been
worked out yet.

“But now that the project is approved, we can go ahead with all
our commitments,” he said.

He added that the project’s components would comprise the
bridge, a road leading from Emart to it and another linking the
bridge to Jalan Stephen Yong.

Meanwhile, JKR southern regional manager Vincent Tang said
repair works were still ongoing at the old Batu Kawah bridge,
necessitating its closure to road users for the time being.

“We are repairing the trusses and reinforcing the bridge. Now we
are doing crack mapping and sealing to strengthen the structure.
We cannot open the bridge because we cannot allow vibration
while the work is still on-going,” he said.

Tang said the department was trying to get the contractor to
complete the repairs before Gawai.

“If not, it would definitely be finished by the middle of June,”
he added.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government has identified five
locations to be given priority for the building of flyovers to
ease traffic congestion in this waterfront city.
State Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Seri Michael
Manyin said the Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD) had
undertaken studies and the findings had been submitted to the
federal government for evaluation and approval for the projects
with the estimated cost at RM400 million.
“The PWD has identified the causes for the traffic congestion in
Kuching and how we can help to reduce it. From the studies, we
found out that among the main courses of the traffic jams are
the traffic lights and junctions.
“We have therefore identified and planned the first five
priority flyovers. They are to be built at Jalan Mendu-Jalan
Simpang Tiga, in Stutong, Jalan Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce,
the Datu Temenggong Abang Kipali Bin Abang Akip roundabout, and
in Petra Jaya and Jalan Rock,” he told reporters after he
officially opened the Jalan Tun Jugah/Jalan Song/Upland
Interchange, here, today.
Manyin also said that the proposed Matang Bridge over the
Sarawak River to connect the Matang area with MJC Batu Kawah,
here, had already been approved by the Finance Ministry.
“The proposed bridge will cost RM145 million. It will ease
traffic congestion from the Matang area leading to the city
centre,” he added. – Bernama

TAXIS: Airport to town is RM 17.50 - buy a
coupon at the taxi stand at the airport. Town to the airport is RM 15. Not all
taxis use meters so agree the fare first before you enter.

Taxis can always be found outside the big hotels. But note that Kuching,
unlike Kuala Lumpur or Singapore is almost impossible to hail a taxi by
simply waiting at the street. The taxi here service via Radio Taxi
service.

So when you need a taxi, call 343343/342255 or 348898 for 24-Hour Radio
Taxi service (RM 1 surcharge). Short distances around town are RM 6-10.

Fix the fare before getting into taxi.

ROAD: The Trans-Borneo highway connects Kuching to all major
cites in Sarawak. Kuching to Sibu takes about 5 hours by car.
Roads in and around Kuching are generally good.

BUS SERVICES: Sarawak Transport Company’s (STC) (Tel:
451573/242579) green and yellow buses serve the Kuching area and
south-west Sarawak. Major bus stops at Jln Mosque and the Post
Office. Petra Jaya City Bus (Tel: 429418) serve Bako, Buntal and
Kota Samarahan. Their white and yellow buses depart from the
open air market near Electra House. Bau Transport Company (Tel:
763160) buses depart from the near the Saujana Car Park for Bau
Town. Long distance buses depart from the Regional Express Bus
Terminal on Jln Penrissen. The most convenient place in the town
centre to buy tickets is the Biaramas Express booking office
(Tel: 429418) on Jln Khoo Hun Yeang (near Electra House).
Biaramas also have an office at the terminal (Tel: 456999, open
from 6 am to 10 pm) and post their latest bus schedules on
www.busasia.net. Other long distance bus companies include Vital
Focus Transportation (Tel: 453190 or 461277.
www.vftransportation. com.my) which operates the PB Express,
Suria Bus. Bus Asia (Tel: 1 300 888) www.BusAsia.net

Bako. Rapid Kuching, 1 hour. First bus (from Kuching) 7.00am,
last bus 6.00pm. Last regular bus back from Bako 5.00 pm. White
minibuses (bas sewa) also go to Kampung Bako). They operate from
6 am to 5 pm and depart from the open air market. There is no
fixed schedule - minibuses leave when they are full.

Damai / Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV). A Kuching-Damai shuttle
bus service departs regularly from outside the Hotel Grand
Margherita with drop offs at the resort hotels and Sarawak
Cultural Village. One way fare is RM 12 (adults), RM 6
(children), takes approx. 40 mins. First bus (from Kuching) 7.30
am, last bus 10 pm. Last bus back from Damai 9 pm. For the full
timetable check with the bell counter at the Hotel Grand
Margherita.

Kubah/Matang Wildlife Centre. No bus service from Kuching. Take
a white local minibus. These white mini buses wait at the
alleyway next to the shops in the Saujana car park complex.
There is no fixed timetable, mini buses leave when there are
enough passengers.

Penrissen Rd. Bus Terminal (for long-distance services). STC bus
Nos. 3A, 4B, 6, 9, and many more (at STC counter, Jalan Masjid).
First bus (from Kuching) 6.15 am, last bus 7 pm. If you are
catching an early bus you may have to take a taxi to the
terminal.

EXPRESS BOATS (Kuching to Sibu): Express Bahagia, service
departs daily at 8.30 am, 4 hrs. Tickets are sold at the jetty
in Pending. It’s advisable to get there 30 mins before
departure.

SAMPANS (known locally as Tambangs): To get across river take
one of the small ferries that connect the riverside kampungs to
the town. Place the fare on the seat as you leave. Hiring a
sampan is a great way to see the river and the waterfront
villages. From the river you’ll have great views of the city,
get in close to the villages and get some good photos of river
life.

RIVER CRUISES: CPH Travel, 70 Padungan Rd (Tel: 243708 or
013-8012826), offer morning river cruises (9 am) and sunset
cruises (5pm) in high-powered pontoon boats. Cruises last
approx. 2-21/2 hours and offer a unique introduction to Kuching
and life on the Sarawak River. Call CPH for full cruise
itineraries.

Harbour Cruises (Tel: 240366 Fax: 240367) offer 11/2 hr
afternoon (3.15 pm) and sunset (5.30 pm) cruises on a large
double-decker boat, which is also available for charter.

TAXIS: Airport to town is RM 26 - buy a coupon at the taxi stand
at the airport. Town to the airport is RM 26. At the moment not
all Kuching taxis use meters so agree the fare first. Taxis can
always be found outside the big hotels and at the taxi stand
where Jln Gambier becomes Leboh Jawa. Alternatively, call
343343/342255 or 348898 for 24-Hour Radio Taxi service (RM 1
surcharge). Short distances around town are RM 7-12.

Air Asia
This budget air line fly between Kuala
Lumpur and Kuching. Like other budget airlines, prices vary depending on how far
in advance you book. As a rough guide, one-way fares typically range between RM
80 and RM 200.

Air Asia plans to add more international destinations from Kuching, starting
with Macau, Jakarta and Singapore. AirAsia chief executive Datuk Tony Fernandes
said the Kuching-Jakarta route was the first on its list of new destinations, to
be followed by Kuching-Singapore.

Kuching International Airport is
Sarawak's main international airport.

It is located 11 km south of Kuching city
centre.

Kuching International Airport is the secondary hub for both
Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia .There are over 251 domestic flights per week from Kuching Airport.

Kuching International Airport has direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore,
Bandar Seri Begawan and Perth in Western Australia and to Hong Kong via Kota Kinabalu.

There are also direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Miri and Sibu, from Johor
Bahru to Kuching, and from Kota Kinabalu and Labuan to Kuching and Bintulu Town

Airport Information Telephone : 457373/454242.

From Kuala Lumpur to Kuching

There are a direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching
Malaysian Airlines System (MAS), the national carrier, flies daily from
Kuala Lumpur to Kuching. More details on MAS daily flights schedule : to
www.bookonline-malaysiaairlines.com.my.

Budget (non-frill) flight by Air Asia also flies daily to Kuching. More
details: www.airasia.com.my.

Kuching to Sibu by Air
One-way air-fare is about RM80.00. The flight from Kuching to Sibu takes
40 minutes. MAS office can be contacted at the following:

Tickets are sold at the jetty in Pending. It's advisable to get there 30 mins
before departure. CCL Bus Nos. 1A, 17 and 19 go to the express boat jetty (60
sen). Taxi fare is RM 10.

From Sibu to Kapit by express
boats

SCHEDULE OF
DEPARTURE

Tickets are sold at the Sibu Express Boat Terminal,
the relevant boat in Kapit and at Petronas Petrol
Stations in Kapit (TBS).

SIBU to KAPIT

KAPIT to SIBU

07.30am (SIBU - KAPIT)

07.30am (KAPIT-SIBU)

09.30am (SIBU - SONG - KAPIT)

12.30pm (KAPIT-SIBU)

10.45am (SIBU - SONG - KAPIT)

02.15pm (KAPIT-SIBU)

12.30pm (SIBU-KAPIT)

03.15pm (KAPIT - SONG - SIBU)

FARES

Smaller Express Boats in the group do not have VIP
Class but the rates remain the same for the
corresponding class.

1

Economy Class -

RM20

2

Business Class -

RM25

3

First
Class - .

RM30

4

VIP
Class -

RM40

From Sibu to Kapit by express
boats

To get to Kapit in the heart of Borneo, you
can take
the fast and reliable express boats from Sibu.
Built in the shape of jet liners, these sleek and
powerful express boats are the jet liners on
water, skimming over the water's surface while
passengers in the cabins enjoy the comforts
of a luxury ride. Each boat is distinctive in its
colors and slight variant in shape and all are
berthed at the busy Sibu Express Boat Terminal,
just minutes from the town's centre.

The Sarawak Boleh 168 express boat plies the
Sibu - Kapit and return routes daily, comfortably
carrying 131 people each trip in its spacious
cabin. Fully air-conditioned, there are DVD
shows during the journey while you relaxed
snugly in your settee enjoying the shows. For
VIP and First class seat passengers, mineral
water is served along the journey, courtesy of
its in-house services. These seats too feature
more comfortable settees with ample leg room
for a more comfortable ride in a two-seat
configuration arrangement. The other types of
seats available in Sarawak Boleh 168 are the
Economy and Business classes, each with
comfortable seats in rows of four seats
onwards. Bags and other carry-ons can be
stored in the spaces provided near the
entrance of the vessel whose interior is
tastefully decorated and head room is
spacious for most people.

It takes two and half hours to
reach Kapit from Sibu as the journey is made
going against the mighty Rejang River currents
but return trips are naturally faster. As for the
trip, the scenery is one of lush greenery of
the tropical rainforest as the Sarawak Boleh
168 meanders along the river and numerous
longhouses appear on either side of the upper
river banks throughout the journey.

1)
Apart from the Sarawak Boleh 168,

There are 4 other smaller
express boats:

2) Sibu Boleh 168,

3) Sibu
Boleh 268,

4) Kapit Boleh 168 and

5) Kapit Boleh
268,

All these 5 Boleh plying the same routes
between Sibu and Kapit

PUBLIC SHUTTLE SERVICE

KUCHING CITY to DAMAI BEACH
and SARAWAK CULTURAL VILLAGE (SCV)

Charges : Adult Rm 10.00
each way Child Rm 5.00 each way (6-12 years old)

From Kuching City to
Tawau Town passing through Brunei using your own car.

Kuching to Kota Kinabalu by land is
1,290km across some of the most rugged terrain in East Malaysia.

Between the 2 States are mountain
ranges, dozens of rivers and ten border crossings, a challenge deem
virtually impossible just 5 years ago now became a popular sports of
the 4X

Malaysia's undulating terrain and dense tropical forests make for an irresistible destination for four
wheel drive enthusiasts. Many
international 4x4 or off-road events are
held annually in Malaysia, among them
being the Borneo Safari and the Rainforest
International Challenge of Malaysia,
deemed one of the world's most
competitive and challenging 4WD events.

With over half of the country still covered
in tropical rainforests, Malaysia's natural
landscape is the destination for the
adventurer who wants to test his skill,
endurance and machine.

There is no direct bus from Kuching to Tawau.

ROAD:

Malaysia and Brunei jointly built
a Trans-Borneo Highway to facilitate travel between the two
countries. This highway would link Kuching City to
Brunei and Sabah.

The Trans-Borneo highway connects Kuching to all major cites in Sarawak
and became the only highway road in Sarawak and this road is along the coast.

In the internal hinterlands of Sarawak and Sabah are just rivers and
mud roads used by the loggers and oil palm planter. These mud road are
often used by foreign naturalists and scientists as an easy access into
the unexplored area to research for rear animal, plants and rear insects
such as dragonflies.

Kuching to Sibu by road takes about 5 hours by
car. Roads in and around Kuching are generally good.

BUS services in Kuching

For more information on
getting around with long distance bus from Kuching please see :
Kuching Bus Terminal

BUS SERVICES: Departure points depend on destination and company used. Sarawak
Transport Company (STC) (Tel: 242967/ 451573/242579) serve the Kuching area and
south-west Sarawak. Their green and yellow buses depart from Lebohjawa. Chin Uan
Long's blue and white buses serve the city and its suburbs. Major bus stops at
Jalan Mosque, the Post Office and Gambler Street. Petra Jaya City Bus (Tel:
429418) serve Bako and Buntal. Their white and yellow buses depart from the open
air market near Electra House. Matang Transport Company's yellow and orange
buses depart from outside the Saujana Car Park and go to Matang and Kubah. Bau
Transport Company (Tel: 763160) buses depart from the same place for Bau Town.

Regional Express Bus Terminal on Jalan
Penrissen. The Kuching Bus Terminal (outstation long distance buses)
is located at Jalan Penrissen.

Backpacker often travel by public express bus from Kuching to Sibu and Sibu to Kuching.

Buses to Sibu, Bintulu and Miri often involve a change of bus in Sarikei. Phone
the bus companies for the latest timetables. The Visitor Information Centre has
a display board with the latest bus schedules and prices.

There is not
such tour bus like the KL Hop-On Hop-Off Double Decker city tour bus
sight-seeing service in Kuching yet. Such tour bus service will be
excellent way to see the many sites in Kuching and would be more popular
and successful then the service in KL because Kuching's efficient traffic
control does not has such jam and hazer like in KL

Bus to Bako National Park. Take the
Petra Jaya City Bus no. 6 from to go to Kampung Bako
Village. The bus parked at Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang next to the open air
market/Electra House.

The journey is 45 minutes. The fare is RM1.50. The bus final stop
at the jetty of Kampung Bako. Here is a registration counter for hiring
the open top boat to the national park. This is a 30-minute scenic
boat ride to the Park.

Book a return boat journey immediately after you arrive at the Park.
Get enought 5 or 6 people who are leaving at the same time, so to
split the boat fare

First bus from Kuching at 7.30 am, last bus 5.20 pm. Last regular bus back from Bako 5.50 pm.

White minibuses also go to Kampung Bako (RM 3).
From 6 am to 5 pm and depart infront open air market. No
fixed departure schedule - the minibuses leave when passenger seats are full.

Damai / Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV). A
Kuching-Damai shuttle bus service departs regularly from outside the Holiday Inn
Kuching with drop offs at the resort hotels and Sarawak Cultural Village. One
way fare is RM 10 (adults), RM 5 (children), takes approx. 40 mins. First bus
(from Kuching) 7.30 am, last bus 10 pm. Last bus back from Damai 9 pm. For the
full timetable check with the bell counter at the Holiday Inn Kuching.

Kubah. Matang Transport Co. Bus No. 11. RM
1.60. Approx. 50 minutes. Buses depart from near the Saujana car park. No fixed
timetable. Ask to be dropped off at the Park HQ near the Matang Family Park
(Stage 2). Note: buses do not go to the entrance of the Matang Wildlife Centre.
Alternatively, take a white minibus (see Matang, below).

Matang Wildlife Centre. There is no regular
bus service to the entrance of the Matang Wildlife Centre. Local mini
buses will usually take passengers to the entrance of the centre. These white
mini buses wait at the alleyway next to the shops in the Saujana car park
complex. There is no fixed timetable, mini buses leave when there are enough
passengers. Fare is RM 2.

Penrissen Rd. Bus Terminal (for
long-distance services). STC bus Nos. 3,3A, 9A, 9B and many more (ask at STC
office on Leboh Jawa). RM 0.50. First bus (from Kuching) 6.30 am, last bus 9 pm.
If you are catching an early bus you may have to take a taxi to the terminal (RM
10).

SAMPANS (known locally as Tambangs): To get
across river take one of the small
ferries that connect the riverside kampungs to the town. Place the fare (30
cents)
on the seat as you leave. Hiring a sampan (RM 20-25 per hour) is a great way to
see
the river and the waterfront villages. From the river you'll have great views of
the
city, get in close to the villages and get some good photos of river life.